Canadian teen Vejas Kruszewski, the designer behind Toronto-based fashion label Vejas, is making headlines in the fashion industry. The 19 year old designer has won a prestigious LVMH prize, and was awarded $218,000 to further his designer career.

The award, which took place in Paris at the Louis Vuitton Foundation building, highlights and honours young designers specifically, and iconic designer Karl Lagerfeld was one of the famous judges who decided if Vejas was worthy of the award.

In a report from the CBC, the nomination alone was considered to be a ‘game changer’ by Noreen Flanagan, editor-in-chief of Elle Canada magazine. Also from the CBC report:

Originally from Montreal, Toronto-based Kruszewski has had no formal fashion training and, at 19, is so far the youngest finalist for the fledgling award — two factors in his favour or that work against him, depending on your point of view.

“It’s a game-changer,” Noreen Flanagan, editor-in-chief of Elle Canada magazine, said of the lucrative prize.

Aside from coverage by international press, winning the award opens doors to potential investors as well as influential supporters for a young designer, she added.

Having noted Kruszewski’s design prowess, Flanagan is showcasing him in Elle Canada’s upcoming feature on Canadian designers to watch feature, to appear in the August issue. Kruszewski is a “self-taught wunderkind,” she told CBC News.

Created two years ago by luxury goods conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, the prize was specifically established to give props to virtually unknown designers. It is only open to those under 40, who may have as few as two ready-to-wear collections under their young belts.

Fellow Canadian Thomas Tait, now London-based, captured the inaugural edition of the prize in 2014. Congratulations Vejas Kruszewski!